The Fantastic Four and their friends are celebrating Franklin's 8th birthday. After the cake is brought out and Franklin is given his presents, Kourtney Keaton, Johnny's new girlfriend, asks if they can leave yet. Meanwhile, Franklin is upset that he got a wagon for his birthday instead of the video game console he asked for. This disappoints Reed, but they are all interrupted by the Thing who tells them that their accountant Jed Shultz has asked to speak to them all. Meeting with Jed he tells them that the Fantastic Four are now broke thanks to the United States government cutting funding to scientific research. He tells them that with a rocky market combined with the fact that their money manager -- Terry Giocometti -- has swindled their fortune along with money stolen from Stark Enterprises and Oscorp. Shultz advises them that with their net worth obliterated they should file for bankruptcy. Johnny protests this idea, telling their accountant that super-heroes don't go bankrupt. Shultz points out that they still need to pay taxes and bills and therefor their only option is for them all to get jobs.

Later that night after Ben puts the children to bed, Reed and Sue clean up the mess from the party. Sue begins to lose her temper over what Terry Giocometti did to them. When Reed offers assurances he is putting contingencies into place to deal with him she isn't consoled since they can't afford anything without having to get real jobs. The following morning Ben and Johnny begin fighting over the newspaper classifieds to find work. When Ben scoffs at Johnny's inability to find work, Johnny believes he can give acting a try again. The two bicker until they make a bet over who can find a job before the end of the day. With Ben and Johnny gone, Sue leaves to take Franklin to school and Valeria to the park leaving Reed alone with his thoughts.

Later, Sue takes Valeria to Central Park with Alicia Masters. There they get into a discussion about what she can do for work. She explains that she was just 21 when she went on the Fantastic Four's flight into space. Alicia suggests that Sue should become a teacher. She interrupts their conversation when she spots a man mugging an old lady. Using her powers she stops the man cold and recovers the stolen purse. When the man says he has no choice but to steal to survive, this causes Sue to pause and think over the idea of being a teacher. Meanwhile, Johnny is paying a visit to his agent on the golf course to try and revive his acting career. His agent tells him he can't help and suggests that Johnny find a new agent. This angers Johnny and he takes off. While at the Collegiate Academy, Reed waits to pick up Franklin after class. When he picks the boy up, he tells his son that the family is going to go through some changes and everyone needs to get jobs. As Reed is explaining their situation to Franklin, Ben has visited a local demolition site to try and get a job on the crew. However the job foreman is concerned that if they hire the Thing the hero will put the rest of his crew out of work. Suddenly, part of the building they are wrecking collapses trapping one of the workers under a pile of rubble. Ben lends a hand by lifting the rubble so the crew can pull their man out, landing the job.

That night as Sue is putting Valeria down for bed she explains to her daughter how both she and Ben managed to secure jobs. In the other room, Johnny is watching the TV with his girlfriend Kourtney. After hearing reports about the Fantastic Four's recent economic troubles he shuts off the TV. The Thing then comes in and Johnny gives him the money owed to him as he clearly did not win the bet. Sue checks in with Reed in the lab and learns that the team has even more bad news: The Fantastic Four has just received a letter from the mayor's office which states that as the Fantastic Four's government funded status has been revoked the city can no longer their destructive activities any longer. The Fantastic Four are given an ultimatum: either pay the damages caused across the city they have caused over the years, or turn over the Baxter Building and it's contents over to the city. With no other choice but to give up their long time headquarters, the Fantastic Four have effectively homeless.

Notes

Continuity Notes

This story states that Franklin is 8 years old. Per the Sliding Timescale this accurate. Franklin was born in Fantastic Four Annual #6 published in 1968 and this story was published in 2004. Per the Timescale Franklin was born during "Year Two" of the Modern Age while this story takes place in "Year Eleven". However, depending on when Franklin was born it's plausible for him to be turning eight here as the Timescale does not strictly follow a proper calendar year.

Sue states that she was 21 years old when she got her powers in Fantastic Four #1. Per the Sliding Timescale this makes her roughly 32 years old at the time of this story. This contradicts Fantastic Four Vol 3 #55 which places Sue's age as being roughly 34 years of age.

Alicia Masters states that she could "never imagine being thirty". According to Fantastic Four #270, Alicia was 19 years old when she first met the Thing back in Fantastic Four #8. Based on the Sliding Timescale that would make her roughly 30 years old at the time of t his story.

The narrative of the story states that Franklin's school, The Collegiate Academy, was founded in 1961. This year is significant as it is the year that Fantastic Four #1 was published.